Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-06-08
CANOE BUILDING,
How Graceful Birches and Canvas Sub
stitutes Are Made in Maine.

stitutes Are Made ia Maine.
The canoe has become SO popular
craft among sportsmen and tourists,
even indispensable to the former class,
that the building of this light and
graceful boat has grown to be quite an
industry in Maine, especially on the
Penobscot river. Time was when the
big birch trees were to be found close
to the water all along Penobscot, and
clear, straight cedar was near at hand
and plentiful, so that the materials for
canoe were easily obtained. Nova
days the birches are from twenty to
one hundred miles distant from the
up-river towns, back in the dense for
ests, and two suitable trees are seldom
found within sight of each other, while
the cedar is also more remote and
scarce. All bark for canoes comes
from the white birch trees outer thick
ness. In winter its inner side has
reddish brown coat, but in summer it
is smooth and yellow. The winter
peeled bark is preferable for canoes
because it is tougher, and because, also,
of the opportunity for ornamentation
of the craft afforded by it's brown coat,
on which various designs, such as deer's
heads, arrows, etc., may be easily
traced.
The canoe builder fells white birch
which is at least one foot in diameter
at distance of eighteen feet from the
base, allowing it to fall across some
small logs to keep,it from the ground,
and then strips off it's outer coat. The
bark must be warmed-toasted. as it
were-before it can be Strengthened out
and rolled up in its proper shape for
transportation. The bark and cedar
are carried out of the woods in boats
or canoes when the streams are open,
otherwise on a ''toat sled" When the
builder is ready for work he drives
stakes into the ground, and thus forms
a frame the shape of his canoe. Then
the bark, after more toasting, is
smoothed out and fitted to the frame,
after which the gunwales, strips of
clear, stripped cedar, are put in place,
and the top edges of the bark secured to
them by means of copper nails. Next
the whole inside of the birch is lined
with lengthwise strips of thin-shaved
cedar, after which about fifty cedar
timbers are sprung" into place over
them, the timber heads being secured
under the gunwales. All cuts made in
the bark in bringing it into the required
shape and forming the ends of the
canoe are sewn up with cane threads
and gummed over with a paste COM
posed of resin and oil. Ash thwarts,
very narrow, are put in, strips of cam
vas glued over the ends of the canoe
where the two sides of the bark sheet
meet, and the graceful craft is done.
Paddles are shaved from poplar, maple
and ash. If the canoe is meant for
deep water, where tLsre is likely to be
sea, she is built rather deep; if for
shoal water, such as trout fishers re-
quire, she is made very fiat. A good
canoe will hold four men and carry
them safely, if properly handled.
About ten years ago canvas began to
be used in place of bark as a material
for canoes, and great many of this
description are now made in Bangor.
They are covered with a thick coat of
paint to make them water-tight, and
are lighter, fully as cheap. but not SO
symmetrical as birch. The duck for
an ordinary eighteen-foot canoe costs
six dollars, and generally requires
seam, being too narrow for single
breadth covering. The only tools re-
quired by either white man or Indian
making canoes, are Knife with curved
blade, an awl, drawshave and hammer.
The Indian often has only the knife.
The red man is not so neat builder as
some whites, but he is the best of all
navigators of the birch. Canoes of both
kinds and all shapes and sizes are ali
the rage at the summer resorts, being
popular among the dudes, because it
requires very little strength to propel
them at rapid rate. They are also
pretty to look at, and are safe enough
in careful OF experienced hands. Can
vas will never entirely supersede birch
for canoes, for the latter bends very
gracefully, and is more romantic ma
terial than duck. Bangor (Ne.) Cor.
N. Y. San.
Somewhat Primitive Costumes.